Cameroon: open war between Samuel Eto’o and Geremi Njitap
Cameroonian football is rocked by an open crisis between Samuel Eto’o, president of Fécafoot, and Geremi Njitap, head of Synafoc.
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One short line sums up the conflict between Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fécafoot), and Geremi Njitap, president of the National Union of Cameroonian Footballers (Synafoc). It comes from a statement issued on 18 November by the union, reacting to the federation withdrawing its accreditation two days earlier. "This decision, which was expected, is the latest act in a long series of malicious actions aimed at silencing everyone in our football who dares to voice an opinion different from that of the now potentate of Tsinga [the name of the district housing Fécafoot's offices, editor's note] ", the union's executive committee responded.
Long-standing tensions
The discord between Eto’o and Njitap is nothing new. Although the two men shared glorious successes in the shirt of the Indomitable Lions, their relationship has deteriorated considerably since Eto’o's election as head of Fécafoot. Tensions reached breaking point after a rumour in July 2023 claiming that Njitap would be the government's choice to take the reins of a possible normalisation committee at the head of Fécafoot. That possibility was enough to make him a target within Eto’o's circle.
Njitap, seen as an upright and experienced leader, represents a credible alternative to the leadership of the former Barcelona striker, which has been marked by controversy. The Eto’o camp reportedly sees this prospect as unacceptable, viewing it as a threat to the stability of his reign at Fécafoot. "Njitap enjoys a good image among former footballers and has never been linked to scandal. He also has managerial experience that Samuel Eto'o did not have when he was a candidate for Fécafoot. What's more, he has excellent relations with the presidents of FIFA and CAF", Jean-Bruno Tagne, Samuel Eto’o's former campaign director and author of several bestselling books on the former Indomitable Lions captain, told SNA.
Fécafoot's fears
Yet on the Fécafoot side, the withdrawal of Synafoc's accreditation is justified on institutional grounds. According to members of its General Assembly, FIFA prohibits federations from bringing unions into their structures. However, observers see it as a manoeuvre to sideline an influential figure. By preparing the installation of Lucien Mettomo, a close ally of Eto’o, at the head of the National Association of Cameroonian Footballers (ANFC), Fécafoot would be tightening its grip on the bodies representing players, while limiting internal dissent at a time when clubs are still waiting for the sponsors' subsidy for the season that ended seven months ago.
Synafoc's firm response
Faced with this offensive, Synafoc has no intention of standing idly by. Backed by FIFPRO, the organisation denounces a deliberate attempt to eliminate the defence of Cameroonian footballers' rights. Njitap and his team have promised to take the matter to the competent courts, as happened in 2013, when a similar decision was overturned. In firm terms, Synafoc's executive committee urged players to stay calm, while affirming its determination not to give an inch to those it describes as "predators now installed at the very heart of Fécafoot's Executive". The tense climate between Samuel Eto’o and Geremi Njitap now extends well beyond the walls of Fécafoot.